


Pride!

by ISC



Series: Pride! [1]
Category: The Flash (TV 2014)
Genre: Darling Barry, M/M, Pride Parade, Suggested Homophobia, Sweet Len
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-05-10
Updated: 2017-05-10
Packaged: 2018-10-30 08:04:45
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,172
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/10872615
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/ISC/pseuds/ISC
Summary: Len watched as the kid started in on his face, working away the glitter on his forehead and across his chin, little hand held mirror clutched in one, ridiculously long fingered, hand. It was 2007. He shouldn’t be watching a kid desperately scrub any trace of ‘gay’ from his face while riding home on the subway.





	Pride!

**Author's Note:**

> I feel like I saw this prompt on tumblr once upon a time. I couldn't tell you where or when or who- I just want to gleefully thank whoever originally suggested the idea.

Len groaned, legs stretching out in front of him. It was humiliating, taking the subway just because Mick had taken the car and his wallet. A spiteful Mick was the worst sort of Mick. Rolling his head to stretch his neck, Len tried to keep his shoulders from slumping down, fingers tapping against his leg as he counted stops in his head, body swaying lightly as the train pulled onto the G. Seven more stops before he was in his neighborhood, it would probably take over an hour with the crowd from Pride that was starting to trickle in. 

Teeth clenching, he pulled his feet in and let a stream of pride kids wander by, smiling a little at their cheerful chatter. He turned to watch the last of the parade kids stumble on, a lone teen, all gangly legs and glitter. Eyebrow lifting, Len couldn’t help the appreciative sweep he did of the young man's body. Tight jeans, legs for _miles_ , knobby wrists, long, graceful neck and a face that could stop traffic. 

Licking his lips, Len guessed his age at _too fucking young_ and tried to reel in his libeto. Didn’t stop him from eyeing the collarbone jutting out from where the bright purple Pride! shirt was sliding off his shoulder as the teen took a seat directly across from his. Noticing Len’s heavy gaze, the kid shot a _holyshitgorgeous_ smile at him. Winking, Len let the kid see the slow, mildly lustful, sweep he did of his body before smiling back. Just because he was probably 10 years older it didn’t mean he couldn’t appreciate the blush that crawled up that long neck or the bashful batting of what was just unfairly long eyelashes. 

He watched the kid settle a backpack on the empty seat beside him, pulling out what seemed to be a plain black shirt. The teen shot a shy look at Len under his eyelashes before whipping off his Pride! shirt. Len got to enjoy milky white skin and several very eye catching birthmarks before the black, plain tee was pulled on. Curious, Len watched as he pulled what looked like hand wipes and a compact mirror out of his backpack, scrubbing them over the back of his arms and hands. Washing away the glitter.

**Oh.**

Len watched as the kid started in on his face, working away the glitter on his forehead and across his chin, little hand held mirror clutched in one, ridiculously long fingered, hand. It was 2007. He shouldn’t be watching a kid desperately scrub any trace of ‘gay’ from his face while riding home on the subway. 

“Fuck.”

Blinking, Len watched the kid scrub harder at his cheeks, where the glitter was darker and apparently much harder to get off. Shifting, he watched the kid grab a handful of clean towels, hands shaking as he tried to rub his skin off whispering a harsh mantra to himself as he worked. “Fuck, fuck **fuck** come off, please, please come off!”

Frowning, Len glanced around at all the people politely ignoring the kid. With a sigh, Len stood and moved across the car in two long strides, plopping down beside the teen with a flirty smile. “Need some help Doll?”

Staring at Len, scarlet blush sweeping over his face and neck again, the kid smiled bashfully and held his hand, and the towels, out. “Oh gosh, yes please.”

Chuckling, Len took the towels in one hand, other hand coming up to grasp the sharp jaw in front of him. “I’m Len.”

“Barry.”

“Nice to meet you Barry.”

“Uh, you as well. Thank you. For helping me I mean. Thank you for helping me.”

Len smiled, the kid was even more charming up close. Freckles were hidden under the pound of glitter. Along with stunning green eyes and a blush that seemed to start at the tips of his ears. “Was this your first Pride?”

Cue the blush. Simply stunning.

“Yes. I, ah, just turned 18, and I wanted to celebrate.”

“Happy Birthday.”

“Thank you.”

“I assume from the spare shirt and frantic glitter removal that your daddy doesn’t know?”

“Foster-father. And no, I don’t know if he would care really, we just don’t get along so well. I just.” Sighing, Barry seemed to slump, shoulders drooping and eyes dropping from where they had been staring bashfully up at Len. “I just don’t want to give him more ammunition for not trusting me.”

Lifting an eyebrow, Len tried to reign in his disbelief that anyone could not trust this boy. “Not to be nosy, well, no actually, to _be_ nosy, I just cannot picture you as someone untrustworthy.”

Flashing a show stopping smile, Barry settled one of those delicate, long fingered hands down on Len’s knee. “You’re awfully sweet.”

“Oh Scarlet, you have no idea.” Len felt a thrill shoot through him at the answering blush. Barry was gorgeous, _and legal_ , up close Len could admire the arch of his long neck and the feel of his soft skin as he brushed softly at the glitter stained cheeks. 

“I really appreciate you doing this for me.” Again with that blush, Len was going to have to change his pants at this rate.

“Not at all babe, was it worth the trip?”

“Totally!” Barry’s eyes lit up, his whole face transforming as he smiled, excited and exuberant. “Oh gosh! There was so much to do! And see! And some of the people were **so** nice! Some were grumpy, but mostly I had a great time! I even made friends with this awesome guy, Cisco, who is pre-op and so nervous about his surgery next month. I told him I’d be there, is that weird?”

Chuckling softly at the rapid-fire speech, Len tilted Barry’s face to the side, allowing himself a moment to admire the jut of the teens jaw. “Not weird. It’s very kind of you.”

Barry moved in Len’s grasp, catching his eye. “He just. He said his friends don’t understand, and he was just so _scared_.”

Swiping his thumb under Barry’s eye, trying to stave off the tears welling in his big doe eyes. “Then it’s good he met you, yeah?”

Smiling, Barry rubbed the heel of his hands into his eyes. “Yeah. You really are very nice.”

Len smiled, how could he not? Sweeping his eyes over the other man’s face, he let himself brush his fingers over the arch of those ridiculous cheekbones before pulling back. “And you, Scarlet, are glitter free.”

Hands lifting, Barry touched his cheeks with a blinding smile. “I don’t know how to thank you. Actually…”

Suddenly flame-red, Barry’s smile turned sweet as he pitched his body forward and pressed his lips against Len’s cheek. Pulling back with a breathless giggle, Barry smiled at Len’s arched eyebrow. “Thank you Len. Is there anyway I can repay you?”

Smirking, Len felt the heat rise under his collar and valiantly fought it down. “How about dinner?”

Laughing, Barry caught Len’s wrists in his slender hands, body leaning forward. “Yes!”


End file.
